Tuscan Recipes

La Panzanella is a summer peasant soup. Despite having origins in Florence, this recipe has spread quickly throughout Tuscany since the beginning of the 800, especially in Siena and Arezzo, becoming, for its fragrance, the traditional dish of the summer.

The preparation is (apparently) easy and everything you need for this recipe is always in every kitchen.Panzanella is based on bread, better if unsalted and stale.

Cut bread into slices and soak it in cold water and acidulated with vinegar, to taste. After a few minutes, remove the bread and squeeze it with your hands. Put it in a bowl, slice on top tomatoes, onion, cucumber and season with olive oil, salt and pepper in abundance. Mix, and finally, add the fresh chopped basil leaves. Keep the bowl in the refrigerator.Panzanella must be served very cold.

Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato Soup)

This recipe comes from Francesca, a good Italian friend of mine who lives here in Florence. This is the way she prepares this thick bread and tomato soup, a classic Tuscan favorite. Servings: 4

Place the stale bread in a large bowl and pour the warm broth over it, cover and set aside for at least 1 hour.

Over medium heat and in a wide pot, pour the oil and sauté the garlic. Add the tomatoes and a dash of salt and pepper. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Go back to your bread, which should have absorbed most of the broth. Add the bread to the pot, squeezing it a bit with your hand as you do so to eliminate any excess broth. Cook for at least 15 minutes, stirring every so often with a wooden spoon.

Serve warm, adding a bit of fresh cut basil and a swirl of good olive oil on top. And remember, always cut fresh basil with your hands, not with a knife or scissors!

Bruschetta

Ingredients:

-any type of bread -2 garlic cloves -olive oil -ripe tomatoes -salt

Preparation

Slice the bread and divide it into equal parts, sprinkle some garlic,season with olive oil and add salt and pepper. At this point place it in a preheatedoven on “grill”. Before the bread will become too crisp, remove it from the oven andadd the diced tomatoes, a dash of olive oil and oregano. Place back in the oven for a few minutes and serve hot.